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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/30001494">Don't Wait Up for Me</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/marvelousmsmol/pseuds/marvelousmsmol'>marvelousmsmol</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Mollie's 500 Follower Celebration [10]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Miraculous Ladybug</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Adrinette | Adrien Agreste/Marinette Dupain-Cheng, Borderline crack, F/M, Fluff, Fluff and Humor, Marichat | Adrien Agreste as Chat Noir/Marinette Dupain-Cheng, Married Adrien Agreste/Marinette Dupain-Cheng, Nightmares</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2021-03-12</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2021-03-12</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-15 19:53:29</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>1,475</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/30001494</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/marvelousmsmol/pseuds/marvelousmsmol</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Marinette wakes up in the middle of the night to find Adrien missing from their bed, and someone else lurking in the kitchen.</p><p>Prompt: "What do you mean maybe? It's a yes or no question."</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Adrien Agreste | Chat Noir/Marinette Dupain-Cheng | Ladybug</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Mollie's 500 Follower Celebration [10]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/series/2194941</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>18</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>272</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>Don't Wait Up for Me</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><ul class="associations">
      <li>For <a href="https://archiveofourown.org/users/Nomolosk/gifts">Nomolosk</a>.</li>



    </ul></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>Waking up in the middle of the night to an empty side of the bed shouldn’t have been all that terrifying if Marinette hadn’t just woken up from a horrible nightmare where Adrien was already gone. She sat up in bed, trying to rationalize her fears with all reasonable explanations. Adrien could have just gone to the bathroom, or to get water. He could be coming back any minute now and Marinette would be able to pull him close to her and cuddle him tightly until she fell back asleep.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>But she waited two minutes. Then three.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Five minutes and Adrien still hadn’t come back to bed. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Marinette was pulling her hair, deciding whether or not she should get up and search the apartment. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>A thump coming from the kitchen made her freeze. She waited for a moment, seeing if the noise would repeat itself, and then heard the sound of a cabinet opening and the faucet being turned on.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>As silently as possible, Marinette climbed out of bed, careful not to make any noise and her feet hit the hardwood floor. She crept toward the door, grabbing the baseball bet she kept in the room. Adrien always teased her for that, but he wasn’t here now, was he? He’d gone somewhere else and left her by herself to fend off robbers with a wooden stick on her own. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Marinette was thankful the bedroom door was already open. It creaked on its hinges, but she was able to make it into the hall without alerting the intruder of her presence. She reached for the light switch as she made it to the end of the hallway, unable to see into the dark room. Marinette took a deep breath, counting to three before flicking it on and lighting the whole place up. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>The intruder instantly turned on his heels to face her, eyes wide in shock, hands raised halfway to his mouth with a glass of water.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Chat Noir?” Marinette asked confused. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Hey, honey,” Chat said awkwardly. “What are you doing up?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Honey?!” Marinette raised the bat in her hands slightly higher.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Chat put his hands up in surrender, water sloshing in the glass he was holding and sprinkling onto the sleeve of his suit. Still in shock, but seeming almost confused, Chat looked down at himself and then back up at Marinette. “Oh,</span>
  <em>
    <span> shit,”</span>
  </em>
  <span> he murmured to himself. “Shit, shit, shit, shit, shit. Uh… Hi. Can I explain myself?” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I better think you should,” Marinette said. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Okay,” Chat said, carefully setting the glass of water down on the counter behind him. “You see, I was… I was in the neighborhood and, uh- Yeah, I was in the neighborhood, you know, patrolling, and I thought I would stop by and get a glass of water.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You thought you’d just… stop by?” Marinette asked, quirking an eyebrow. “In the middle of the night? How did you even know this is where I lived? Have you been breaking into random people’s houses?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“No, no. No, no, no,” Chat said, shaking his head and waving his hands frantically. “It’s not like that. It’s not like that, I swear. I’ve just been… Adrien, you know, you’re married to him-”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’m aware of the fact, yes.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“He and I have been really good friends for a long time, and he told me that if I ever needed anything while I was out protecting Paris that I was welcome to come here,” Chat said. He let out a nervous laugh, but Marinette didn’t change her stance at all. Chat was her partner but that didn’t mean she was okay with him breaking into her house.</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Oh my God, Chat broke into my house.</span>
  </em>
  <span> Marinette thought, the dread sweeping through her. </span>
  <em>
    <span>What if he’s here because he’s figured out I’m Ladybug. He- he wouldn’t. He wouldn’t, right?</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>Marinette slammed the bat against the ground dragging it along the floor as she walked further into the kitchen. “How long have you known my husband?” she asked. “Maybe since the two of you are such good friends you could tell me exactly where he is right now?” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Um,” Chat reached up to scratch the back of his neck. “Well, I’m not entirely sure I can tell you.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What do you mean you can’t tell me?” Marinette asked. “Where the </span>
  <em>
    <span>hell</span>
  </em>
  <span> is he?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Well, he’s here,” Chat said, “He’s here right now. I just can’t say… exactly where.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Did you lock him in a closet or something?” Marinette continued to press him. She had made her way completely across the room to him and pressed the tip of the bat up against his chest, pushing him back into the counter. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“No, no. I didn’t. I swear,” Chat said, putting his hands back up in the air. “Jesus Christ you are terrifying for such a tiny woman.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Marinette inhaled deeply, lowering the bat from his chest. “Chat,” she said, slowly opening her eyes again. “It is three in the morning. I just woke up from a nightmare and my husband </span>
  <em>
    <span>missing</span>
  </em>
  <span> from our bed. I think I’m about to be attacked by an intruder, and then you’re here spewing nonsense. So, please, just tell me exactly what’s going on.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You had a nightmare?” Chat asked, his eyes softening as he looked at her. Marinette glared at him and he stiffened again. “Sorry.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Chat finally lowered his hands. Marinette set the bat aside completely as well. They were both gatherings themselves. Marinette didn’t really feel threatened at all. This was Chat after all. She did know him. Maybe she wasn’t supposed to know him as well as Marinette, but… He was still her partner, the second most important man in her life. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Look, is it okay-” Chat said, pausing to take a deep breath. “Are you fine if I de-transform?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Marinette was shocked by the question. How was she supposed to answer that? They both knew that he couldn’t.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’ll be able to tell you a lot easier where Adrien is if I de-transform,” Chat said.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Marinette took a step back from him, wondering what this was all leading to. Something in the pit of her stomach was telling her that things were much more connected than they seemed. “Maybe.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What do you mean maybe? It’s a yes or no question?” Chat asked, a smile appearing on his face.</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>That-</span>
  </em>
  <span> That seemed like something Marinette knew, something familiar. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Marinette nodded slowly, her voice barely audible. “Okay.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Okay,” Chat said, nodding in turn. “Plagg, claws in.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>In the split second between his words and the transformation being complete, Marinette wondered if maybe she should close her eyes. She was too late making that decision though, and her husband was standing right in front of her just moments after. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’m sorry I woke you coming in, my lady,” Adrien apologized. “I hope the nightmare didn’t make things too worse.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Marinette wasn’t quite sure what to do now. Where her partner had been standing just seconds ago, her husband was now. The two most important men in her life… Marinette fell against his chest, clutching to the fabric of the ratty old t-shirt he wore to bed. “Yes, it did, you dummy.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Adrien’s arms wrapped around her immediately, holding her close and trying to calm her down as she cried. “I’m sorry,” Adrien said, kissing the top of her head.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You should have at least woken me up to tell me you were leaving,” Marinette said, her voice muffled as she pressed her face into his chest. She pulled away looking at him with a stern glare. “And you shouldn’t wear just your boxers and a t-shirt if you’re going out like that. What if you have to detransform in an emergency. You’ll be freezing. Put some real clothes on next time.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yes, my lady,” Adrien said, nodding. “I promise. Can I take you back to bed, please?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“How long have you known that I was Ladybug?” Marinette asked, ignoring his other question.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“About a month,” Adrien answered.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You should have told me,” Marinette said. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I didn’t know where we stood on the identity thing,” Adrien said. “I was planning on asking you earlier, but I just couldn’t find the time. I’m so sorry it had to happen like this.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“One apology was enough,” Marinette said, fiddling with the places on his shirt that she had left tear stains. “Can we talk about this more in the morning? Ever since I woke up, all I wanted was for you to just hold me.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Of course,” Adrien said nodding. He hooked one of his arms underneath her legs, sweeping her up into his arms and carrying her back toward the bedroom. “Christ, finally I don’t have to hold back any of the purring.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Marinette giggled, pressing a kiss to his cheek. “I love you very much.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I love you, too, my lady.”</span>
</p>
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